A Blaenau Gwent cake company that is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026, has successfully grown over the last decade thanks to ongoing support from the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme.
Based in Ebbw Vale, Clam’s Handmade Cakes produce award-winning handmade cakes, which are supplied to coffee shops and cafes across the UK. Founded in 1991 by Jane Phillips, the family run business is the recipient of 18 Great Taste Awards and has been previously named Wales’s best craft bakery at the British Baking Awards.
Since 2013, ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University has provided Clam’s with a variety of Welsh Government funded technical support, including help to secure and maintain SALSA certification, preparation for customer audits, and assistance with new product development and process efficiency.
In 2025, Clam’s contacted ZERO2FIVE when they were looking to adopt a data driven approach to tracking production flow and monitoring waste. This led to ZERO2FIVE’s waste experts developing a bespoke database tool for Clam’s which could be used by production operatives to keep track of products as they are being manufactured in real time.
The company now has easy access to a range of data such as the number of bakes per day, expected versus actual units, units lost in bake, and total yield. As a result, Clam’s can be proactive in responding to issues, including whether production output will meet the volume required to fulfil orders and which products or ovens are more likely to generate waste.
Clam’s first secured SALSA certification in 2014 with support from ZERO2FIVE. One of the most widely recognised food safety certification schemes in the UK, SALSA enables smaller manufacturers to demonstrate that they are operating to industry-recognised food safety standards. As a result, Clam’s have been able to grow their business by supplying their products to national foodservice providers.
During the last year, ZERO2FIVE has helped the company to maintain their certification by supporting them with the continuous improvement of site hygiene standards, good manufacturing practices, cleaning procedure verification and the ongoing mentoring of a technical assistant who initially joined Clam’s as a production operative.
Clam’s passed their most recent SALSA audit in September 2025 alongside two major foodservice customer audits. Successfully passing these audits has enabled the company to launch five new products and safeguard 26 jobs within the business.
Speaking about the impact of the support, Lewis Phillips, Production Director, Clam’s Cakes, said: “ZERO2FIVE have been invaluable partners to us for more than a decade now. Their range of expertise in food safety management, new product development and waste reduction have all helped us to grow and develop as a business in different ways. This year we celebrate another milestone in our history, and we hope to continue to work with ZERO2FIVE for many years to come.”
Professor Peter Sykes, Head of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, said: “It’s great to see a local company like Clam’s Cakes still going from strength to strength after 35 years of trading. Whether you’re a long-established company in Wales or a new business finding your feet, we’d encourage you to get in touch to discuss the variety of Welsh Government funded support we can offer.”
